Sunday, January 31, 2010

Gold opened his eyes. He wasn’t sure exactly how to describe it. Yellow light washed above them like currents in a gaseous river. Images from the lab stretched and faded from view: black-topped lab tables expanded like balloons into fizzling shadows, Doc Magnus’s desk whirled into a mess of wood and metal and papers like cream being stirred through coffee, and the lilac-painted walls puffed and faded out like clouds in an alien sunset. And then there was nothing left but brilliant yellow light.

“We’re in a Zeta Beam!” Gold said with as much certainty as possible.

“Where are we going?” Platinum asked.

“I have no idea,” Gold said.

“Where are you bringing us?” Captain Boomerang demanded. Though being wrapped up in Tina wasn’t really the position to be demanding anything with any modicum of dignity.

“Again, I have no idea,” Gold said.

Gold looked down. The yellow light faded ever so slightly, letting in other colors. The reverse of what had happened back at the lab started slowly taking place: beneath him fuzzy green clouds solidified into patches of grass, streaks of blue became the sky, wisps of white became fluffy clouds. And then, the ground suddenly pressed beneath his feet. Gold stood there, stunned, looking out on a sunny day on a very strange planet.

“AAAAAAHHHH!!!” I.Q. let out a scream of pure terror.

“Shut him up,” Mercury said to Iron, who restrained I.Q. within his grip.

“Will do,” Iron said, raising his hand in the form of an anvil.

“No don’t hit me again! I’ll be quiet!” I.Q. said.

Iron lowered his arm. “All right.” He seemed a little disappointed at not being able to hit him.

“Where are we?” Platinum asked.

Gold turned to her. “Didn’t you just ask me that five minutes ago?”

“Yes, but I thought if I asked it again you might know the answer this time.”

Gold didn’t bother responding to her. He turned and regarded the members of the Injustice Gang, who were all restrained. He didn’t want to bring them along exploring, but he didn’t want to let them roam free, either. He looked down at his signaling device and pushed it. “Strange?” he said, “do you copy?”

The signaling device only fizzled in response.

Suddenly, a low growl interrupted his thoughts. He turned to see a group of beasts that could only be described as tigers with horns, stalking towards them. In the position they were, however, holding the villains at bay, there was no way to fight them off.

“Oh, great,” said Mercury, “here comes the welcome wagon.”

Gold looked at the horrible beasts and then down at the signaling device in his open palm.